The frantic shopping of the Christmas season always starts with my wife saying "what gift are you getting for our grandson (this year he is 6)?"

Readers be aware, there is danger in that question. The pressure is to find a subtle age appropriate educational toy that teaches critical thinking. We have long ago passed WalMart or many of the traditional places that have toys.

Grandson's parents are two well educated individuals who cherish lifelong learning. These are not the people who would allow GI Joe toys or Barbie World into the home.

They want that "special" gift that teaches the young mind.

Toys R Us, located in Paducah, Kentucky was a place of options. They had a little of everything for the young minds. However, they were also an hour driving time from our front porch.

But this year, it didn't work out for shopping in Paducah. Nor was their online selection well stocked. We did find a globe on their online shop. It was a simple globe for $40.00 dollars. This looked good.

Yet, with a little more research, we found a globe on Amazon that also served as a night light. This meant that the night sky stars, with correct positions of stars and the constellations were shown as a night light for little minds. The cost was $30.00. Because my wife is a member of Amazon Prime, the shipping was free.

End of story, the globe was shipped and dropped on our doorstep within three days by UPS. The gift was perfect for the little genius.

Now that we have experienced the future - cutting the cord with traditional retail marketplace, it will be hard to go back into the brick and mortar shopping experience.

Yet, I feel that with my divorce with Toys R Us, like at the end of a marriage, it's time to move on. I will survive the experience of online shopping. I may even become a better person. Time will tell.

But for Toys R Us, the end may be creeping up on them faster then anyone could have seen in 2017. Their business model, like Sears, K-Mart or Macys, located in mega regional shopping malls is fast becoming outdated.

Editor's Note: Toys R Us closed 182 stores this week, including three in Central Kentucky, as part of Chapter 11 reorganization. The Paducah store is not on the list to be closed.